A review by c95newman
May the Best Man Win by Z.R. Ellor

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Jeremy is head cheerleader, student body president, and a recently out trans man. His ex boyfriend Lukas is captain of the football team and homecoming committee chairman. After a summer of changes and new challenges they both want to prove their worth by becoming homecoming king. The race for homecoming king starts an explosive rivalry and chaos ensues. 

I loved this book. In the beginning both Jeremy and Lukas are self destructive assholes.  But all their self destructive tendencies come from a place of fear, of loneliness, and of insecurity. They feel so real, human, and authenticly teenaged. 

Representation is really important and this book thrived in that area.  There were aisian characters, nuerodivergent characters, and non binary characters. And lots of characters go on journeys of accepting themselves or someone else in a way that feels natural. 

The big themes of the book was masculinity and what it means to be a man, and found family. The discussions around Jeremy and his struggles with toxic masculinity really resonated with my fears as a trans man. And the found family dynamics are so key to any queer story. 

And outside of it being exciting to read a trans story, this story was just so captivating! Its a drama filled with missed connections, high school angst and passionate moments. Its everything you could ever want from a drama. 

I think that May the best Man Win was everything I wanted from a transmasc drama. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good redemption arc, anyone who is trans, and anyone who loves a trans person in any capacity. 5/5 stars. 
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